Israeli strike on Nasser Hospital kills six, deepening Gaza's health crisis

An Israeli airstrike on Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza killed six people, including a surgeon and a 13-year-old boy, and severely damaged the surgical wing, underscoring the devastation of Gaza's health care system after three years of conflict. The Israeli military said it targeted a Hamas commander allegedly using the hospital as a base, but provided no evidence. The strike hit operating rooms and patient wards, with the military not confirming the commander's death. Attacks on hospitals have waned during the October 2025 ceasefire but continue. The WHO has documented over 1,050 attacks on Gaza health facilities, causing more than 1,000 deaths. Twenty of Gaza's 36 prewar hospitals function, though none fully, with 47 percent of essential medicines out of stock. International law protects hospitals, but they can lose status if used for military purposes.